"Atmospheric Disturbances," by Rivka Galchen; FSG; 256 pages

In this striking debut, psychiatrist Leo Liebenstein discovers his beloved wife Rema has been replaced by a cunning simulacrum, leading him to join forces with a former patient convinced he's conducting secret meteorology experiments, and travel throughout Argentina searching for his lost wife. Galchen's formidable family background and professional experience is the spine of this hauntingly seductive story questioning the complex and often obfuscated bounds of reality, science and love.

"Salmonella Men on Planet Porno," by Yasutaka Tsutsui; translated by Andrew Driver; Pantheon; 252 pages

The title of popular Japanese author Yasutaka Tsutsui's short-fiction collection presents an irresistible temptation to skip to the final, title story and seek out the scandal. The collection unabashedly romps in the sexual facets of modern humanity and culture, but these stories do so much more, sometimes brilliantly, often hilariously, always fantastically, never bound by reality or convention. This collection is not for the faint of heart; you must be open to receive its infinite joys.

"Who Owns the Crown Lands of Hawai'i?" by Jon M. Van Dyke; UH Press; 485 pages

In support of his assertion that "Crown Lands should once again be managed by and for the Native Hawaiian People," Van Dyke details their intricate history and legal status, laying a remarkably clear and completely captivating path of understanding. He effortlessly navigates such complex intersections as Hawaiian concepts of land tenure and smartly steers past such disputes as the role of ali'i in a new Hawaiian Nation to elucidate and persuasively affirm the Crown Lands' unique status so they can be more effectively restored to their intended purpose and beneficiaries.

"The Global Game: Writers on Soccer," edited by John Turnbull, Thom Saterlee, Alon Raab; Bison Books; 296 pages

The world's most popular sport has inspired literature across the globe, just not often in English. To educate and enlighten us, Turnbull and his fellow editors collected and translated more than 50 pieces of poetry and prose from such masters as Eduardo Galeano, Ted Hughes, Elvis Costello and Mario Vargas Llosa, alighting in such diverse locales as Kosovo, Montana, Iran and Greenland. These missives offer an uninterrupted view into the unexpected myriad ways soccer and the human experience connect.

"Shining City," by Seth Greenland; Bloomsbury; 307 pages

After losing his factory job to China, middle-aged everyman Marcus Ripps, the protagonist of Greenland's hilarious satirical novel, faces defaulting on his L.A. home and living a sexless marriage, until his estranged brother bequeaths him a dry cleaning business. This solution is soiled when he learns the only thing being laundered there is money earned by a suite of prostitutes. So, what to do but rationally consider the irrational—becoming a pimp? It's the perfect novel for a time when compromising ethics or forgoing survival might be everyone's dilemma.

"The Library at Night," by Alberto Manguel; Yale; 373 pages

A vivaciously erudite justification for society's efforts to collect, order and store information. Inspired by the library Manguel built in his French home, he explores the myriad levels on which a library functions and how readers interact with and in them. It unfailingly underscores the viability and sustainability of reading, writing and ideas, and the sheer impracticality of dismissing books and libraries as obsolete relics.